"Why do I feel like we finna kill somebody?" Maya questioned from the back seat, "Just track him on find
my iPhone."

"He turned his location off." Kyra explained, "I be having to improvise if I wanna catch this bitch."

The three girls sat in Kyra's mama car as they followed Josiah through the city.

"Ain't a bitch on this Earth bold enough to tell me she fucking with Jo."

"They don't tell you, but they def fucking with him still. One bitch I know for a fact."

Kyra looked at her, "And you just now saying some? Who the girl is?"

"Ion know her like that." Maya explained, "She post lil cryptic shit on her Instagram story 'cause she know I follow her."

As she was talking, Maya went on said girl's Instagram, showing Kyra her pictures. Brielle watched as anger came over Kyra's face, "I'm finna kill him."

"Girl you ain't even seen the evidence yet."

She pointed to a specific picture, "He bought her the same shoes as me."

Maya nodded in agreement, "Yeah you gotta kill him."

That's how they ended up a few car lengths behind Josiah.

To be honest, Brielle didn't know why she agreed to come. She wanted to say she just ended up in the car, but hours had gone by since she agreed to it, and she still
came along.

"I could've just asked Hakeem." Brielle offered.

Kyra shook her head, her eyes still on the road, "He wouldn't have told you shit. Jo barely tell me anything about Hakeem, so I'm assuming he's the same way."

She was probably right. And anyway, even if Hakeem did tell her, she didn't know if she would relay the information to Kyra. She seemed like the type to tell Josiah who told her and then Hakeem would likely feel a way.

"I can't believe this shit. Everyfuckingtime I think we doing good, he start fucking with another hoe. Like damn, is it me? Am I the problem?"

"You can't make a nigga stop doing what he wanna do." Maya comforted, "Just leave him sis."

Kyra rested her head against the headrest, "I've been with this man for years. All that time just gone go to waste."

Brielle didn't understand why Kyra was acting like the world would end if she and Josiah broke up, "You're only 21. You act like you old or something. That's young enough to start over."

"Exactly. Even if you decide to stay." Maya leaned up between the seats and cleared her throat, "Again. Get you a side nigga and make it do what it do."

That sounded like some shit waiting to happen.

Kyra must've had the same thought as Brielle, "That boy would knock my ass out. I can't just fuck anybody anyway."

"I think you should leave." Brielle suggested, "Put him out again like last time."

"I am gone put him out. But first that bitch he seeing gotta give me my rounds."

"Period. That shit mad disrespectful 'cause all these hoes know that's your nigga, so they clearly wanna fight. We can jump that hoe if you want to friend."

Brielle looked at Maya out the corner of her eye, "Let me know so I can run before the police come."

They thought she was making a joke since they didn't know Brielle as the track star she once was.

The conversation remained centered around the task at hand, and before they knew it, it was 3 am.

"How haven't they noticed yet?" Brielle asked through a yawn as she slouched in her seat, "They the worst hood niggas ever."

"The thing about Jo, and Hakeem too, they lack common sense. They think niggas ain't gone fuck with them just 'cause they know how they people coming. I don't care because as you can see," She gestured at the windshield, "It works in my favor."

"The girls wanna know who shot up Keem's car. I heard it was over a bitch."

Maya didn't hear anything like that. She just wanted Brielle to correct her and tell her what really happened.

Instead of responding though, Brielle remained quiet. For some reason, she didn't have an inkling of trust for Maya. She felt closer to Kyra just for the simple fact that she seemed genuine, and would tell you exactly what she thought of you.

Maya, on the other hand, was always watching her like she had something to say but wouldn't say it.

"You ain't heard shit. Josiah said it was some niggas outta town."

"What Hakeem say?"

It took Brielle a few seconds to realize they were looking at her, "He didn't say anything."

"You live with him, and you not concerned with who tryna kill his ass?"

"Maya shut the fuck up damn!" Kyra yelled, "You want her to beat his ass until he tell her or some?"

They went back and forth, not noticing Brielle sit straight up in her seat as she realized where they were.

Reaching for her phone, she sent Travis a message. They had been texting throughout the night anyway, so his reply was quick.

Her hand shook as she went to the message thread with Hakeem from earlier, typing out a message, her finger hovering over the send button.

Even though Brielle had just called Hakeem and Josiah the worst good niggas ever, she didn't think they'd kill someone with them outside. She also didn't think she was being too assuming in believing that they were about to kill Travis.

Travis swore he wasn't the one who shot at Hakeem's car, and Brielle believed him.

She sent the message.

Hakeem's read receipts were off and Brielle hoped he had his phone. Brielle breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she saw the car's reverse lights come on.

"Oh shit, they backing up." Kyra panicked, "Maya get in the driver's seat."

"Bitch just back up too, the fuck. Say it never happened."

Kyra's phone began to ring, but she didn't answer until she was off the street. She may as well have put it on speaker since Maya and Brielle could hear Josiah yelling at her.

"I don't know what you talking about." Kyra lied, "I'm at home."

"I'm looking at you! I'm right fucking behind you!"

"Wrong bitch. You must got me confused with that other hoe since you bought us the same pair of shoes!"

The line went silent, "You know what bae that ain't you. The girl just got a car like your mama's. You hungry? Want some from the store?"

Brielle snickered into her hand, while Maya held her stomach as she silently laughed. Kyra didn't crack the smallest smile, "I want you to come home."

The sadness in her words made both of the passengers stop laughing.

"I'm coming right now. I'll be there after I drop Hakeem off."

• • •

Later on that night, or morning rather, Travis called Brielle's phone.

He sat at a table loading magazines with bullets while periodically sipping from the cup beside him.

"Hello?" Came the whisper Bri tried to pass off as talking.

Travis smiled at the reasoning behind it, "Ian finna talk long. I just wanted to say good looks."

That was truly the purpose of his call. He could tell Bri fucked with Hakeem a lot, so for her to lowkey warn him some shit was about to happen, he appreciated that.

"What you mean?" Brielle asked, still whispering, "I didn't do shit."

"Ian the smartest nigga in the world, but Ion think it's no coincidence the same time you ask me if I'm at home I look outside and see a car out there, then after I tell you I'm here, the car leave."

At first, Travis thought Brielle might've been trying to set him up, but it wouldn't make sense for the car to leave after he told her he was home.

The only other logical explanation is that Bri knew what Hakeem was about to do and found some way to stop it. He didn't know why, but she did.

Brielle didn't respond so Travis kept talking, "I gotchu'. I 'preciate this, real shit."

"You said you didn't do it. I believe you."

He smiled again, "I'ma buy you a steak or some. You deserve it."

"Goodnight Travis."

"Yeah, you gotta get your beauty sleep."

"Niggas is mad corny." Brielle laughed, forgetting to whisper, "Bye man."

Travis let her hang up and continued what he was doing before the call, a thought running through his head that made him laugh to himself, Brielle was a terrible judge of character.

• • •

🥴 how yall feel ab bri warning travy

also, don't be afraid to tell me how you feel ab the book, or what you'd like to see. i read (almost) every comment!

thanks for reading 💕